The Government's HS2 plans provide an opportunity to spread prosperity across
the whole of the country, north and south, says Deputy Prime Minister Nick
Clegg.

Mr Clegg, who is MP for Sheffield Hallam, also defended the decision to site the new Sheffield HS2 station three miles from the city centre.

"The city centre option is not a cost-free one. It would be a lot more expensive and also the train link would be slower, which slightly defeats the purpose of the whole exercise," he said.

The route of the planned HS2 high-speed link, including the northern sections announced today.

The Deputy Prime Minister said a route in central Sheffield would have cut through a 4,000 home community housing development, the state-of-the-art Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham and a stretch of ancient woodland.